Guardian: Trump's election push targets post-Election Day certification of results

The Guardian reported Saturday that the Trump administration is waging what it called a brazen effort to interfere with voting in the midterm elections. The paper says the concern is that the federal government will try to slow down certification of results, which could create chaos when the new Congress is seated next year ¹.

Experts quoted by the Guardian are certain the efforts will not work. Some also warn against “fearmongering” about far-fetched scenarios. But after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, voting lawyers are not dismissing any possibility ¹.

On tapeC-SPAN · Oct 27

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The Alaska lawsuit

The most aggressive step is in Alaska, where a hotly contested U.S. Senate race could decide which party controls the chamber. The Justice Department sued the state on October 22 and asked a judge to block certification of the result ¹².

The race pits Republican Dan S. Sullivan against Democrat Mary Peltola. A second man, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., is also on the ballot with no party affiliation. The Justice Department wants an investigation into whether votes cast for him were meant for the senator. The Guardian notes that U.S. ballots are cast in secret, so it is unclear how such a probe would work ¹.

From Channel GOPTrump on the Alaska ballot and the DOJ suitDonald Trump · 237 plays · captioned, with the source named

The state has asked the federal judge to dismiss the suit right away. It says the only law cited, the National Voter Registration Act, covers registration, not counting or certifying votes ². Trump has said he ordered the lawsuit ¹².

This case is a press release disguised as a lawsuit

Election law scholar Richard Pildes wrote that the Justice Department will lose in federal court. He said the case could still give ammunition to officials in the certification process, such as Alaska's lieutenant governor, who might try to delay or deny certification for Peltola if she wins ¹.

On tapeMS NOW · Oct 30

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California and Washington state

On October 13, the Justice Department gave Los Angeles County officials a USB drive that it said held the names of 20,000 noncitizens on the voter rolls. California has more than 23 million registered voters. The department gave the state 48 hours to hold back those voters' ballots ¹.

California refused. The department sued on October 15. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled against the government on Wednesday, and the department is appealing ¹.

On October 26, the department made a similar demand about 400 voters in Washington state. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, replied that he believed the list was inaccurate ¹.

In California, officials sampled 200 names from the list and found many had already been canceled. They also said a “high percentage” of those flagged appeared to be born in the United States ¹.

What experts say

The Constitution gives states, not the federal government, authority to run elections. It gives the president no power over voting ¹. Danielle Lang of the Campaign Legal Center said the effort amounts to little because Washington does not control the levers of election administration ¹.

The type of conduct we have seen from the administration right now is unlike anything we have ever seen as far as federal attempts to interfere with the elections

Some of Trump's allies have urged him to use emergency powers, including seizing voting equipment and sending troops to the polls. Trump has refused to rule out such ideas, the Guardian reports. Such a move would be illegal, and courts would likely step in quickly ¹.

Ned Foley, an Ohio State University election law professor, put the odds of these scenarios actually happening at under 50%. He said a lopsided result would make it harder for any attempt at mischief to gain traction ¹.

That matters because the biggest risk may be delay rather than success in court. The Alaska judge could rule on the motions to dismiss as early as Friday night, according to Alaska Public Media's report ². The California appeal is pending ¹.

The Record

1. Oct 13, 2026Justice Department hands Los Angeles County a USB drive it says lists 20,000 noncitizens on voter rolls ¹.
2. Oct 15, 2026Justice Department sues California to force it to hold back ballots ¹.
3. Oct 22, 2026Justice Department sues Alaska to block certification of its Senate result ¹².
4. Oct 26, 2026Justice Department asks Washington state to review 400 voters and hold back ballots ¹.

Sources

1. The Guardian, “How Trump and his allies seek to interfere the US midterm elections” (2026-10-31). theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/31/trump-all
2. Alaska Public Media, “State of Alaska says DOJ lawsuit over Senate race has no legal basis” (2026-10-27). alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-10-27/state-of

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